• Christmas Has Changedby The FractalsDownload

Photo by Kirstin Angel

WXPN’s Twelve Days of Local Christmas continues today with the song “Hustle and Bustle” by Alex Radus. Radus is a Philadelphia based singer-songwriter who performed in the indie-folk duo Deunde from 2000-2005 and released his solo debut album in 2007; this song was written in collaboration with New York singer-songwriter Charles Ramsey and Basia Grocholski, a Brooklyn-based designer. Says Grocholski: “I wrote the song to not only to challenge myself as a writer, but also to create something that would help arts programs in public schools here. I approached Lance Davis, the producer in Philadelphia to help record it, and he put me in touch with Charles Ramsey who helped arrange it and fix some of the wording. Lance hired Alex originally to just play guitar, but after hearing his voice, I felt he would make the song -I sing the harmony. ”

The 12 Days of Local Christmas compilation is curated by XPN mid-day host Helen Leicht and the songs will be played daily during My Morning Download on the Morning Show with Michaela Majoun and on Helen’s local oick of the day. Below, download the jazz flavored, lighthearted “Hustle and Bustle.” You can download the entire Twelve Days of Local Christmas compilation here.

The 12 Days of XPN Philly Local Christmas Sampler

Find Vienna – “Christmas Is For Our Hearts”
Gillian Grassie – “When the Night Gets Long”
Summer Fiction – “Christmas Eve for Two”
Matt Santry – “The Xmas Song”
Atomic Square – “Christmas Time is here”
Scot Sax and Suzie Brown – “Coming Your Way”
Angel Band – “I Want A Present”
JD Malone & the Experts – “Best Day Of The Year”
Kingsfoil – “The Valley, A Christmas Song”
John Flynn – “Christmas Balls”
Ben Smith – “I Got A New Tattoo For Christmas”
Ali Hoffman – “Evergreen”

Find Vienna

Tonight features performances by three of the artists in this year’s XPN’s 12 Days Of Local Christmas series: Find Vienna and Scot Sax (of Queen Electric) + Suzie Brown. We originally posted Find Vienna’s track, “Christmas Is In Our Hearts” back on December 8th; Scot Sax and Suzie Brown’s song, “Coming Your Way”, ran on December 15th. You can listen to both below.

Find Vienna performs with Atomic Tom + Lion Of Ido, and Lizbeth Rose at 7:30 p.m.; tickets to the show are $15–$20. Queen Electric performs with Suzie Brown + Van Meter at 9 p.m.; tickets to the 21+ show are $8–$10.

• Christmas Is In Our Heartsby Find ViennaDownload

• Coming Your Wayby Scot Sax and Suzie BrownDownload

Photo by Josh Barker

West Chester songwriter Ben Smith has been writing and performing songs in area bands over the past decade. His first solo album, recorded at Milkboy Studios, has Smith revisiting some of the same literary ground and baroque arrangements admirers have always liked about his work with Wise and Foolish Builders (and the more recent Missing Palmer West). This time around Smith is mixing piano and guitar with strings and horns, accordions and choirs. The result sounds both traditional—at home in some front parlor or back barroom—and sophisticated, something overheard echoing down a chamber hall. The new record, to be released this fall, catalogs a wide index of topics: gangsters and love potions, stones and bayonets, runaways and rumors, and even each of the seven wonders of the world. WXPN’s Bruce Warren is a fan, calling Smith’s music “all good things warm and welcoming.”  What else do you need in a Christmas song? Even if it is about getting tattooed. Download “I Got A New Tattoo For Christma”s below and visit Ben’s website for information on shows like the one on January 20th at Milkboy in Ardmore. —Nick Bookbinder

• I Got A New Tattoo For Christmasby Ben Smith from XPN’s 12 Days Of Local ChristmasDownload

Visit John’s website and look for his new album “The End of the Beginning” January 28th, and the CD release party at the World Café the 28th as well. —Nick Bookbinder

• Christmas Ballsby John Flynn from XPN’s 12 Days Of Local ChristmasDownload

• The Valley, A Christmas TimeInsert caption hereDownload

J.D. Malone and his band The Experts are one of those groups that sound just as good on their record as they do in concert. Helen Leicht spoke to J.D. earlier in the year about his new album Avalon and an idea that he called the “Be All You Can Be” project, aimed to make a change in the world at any and level. Since then J.D. has written a song for us called “The Best Day of the Year” in which he describes the feeling many receive from Christmas, and even throws in a little classic caroling. Download the song below and head over to JD’s website to learn more about him and the Experts. —Nick Bookbinder

• Best Day Of The Yearby J. D. Malone And The Experts from XPN’s 12 Days Of Local ChristmasDownload

• I Want A Presentby Angel Band from XPN’s 12 Days Of Local ChristmasDownload

• Coming Your Wayby Scot Sax and Suzie Brown from XPN’s 12 Days Of Local ChristmasDownload

Photo by Tommy Oceanak

With five albums released since 2008, The Atomic Square has been moving right along with their music. The four-piece post-rock/pop group has a huge sound that puts you into the seat of a venue when you hear it, even if you are just sitting in your living room with headphones on. The song that they wrote for our Christmas list is no exception. They will be playing at the Milkboy in Philadelphia on December 16th.

For more information on The Atomic Square and their 2011 release “On the Horizon,” visit their website. You can listen to and download the song they wrote for us, “Christmas Time is Here,” below.

• Christmas Time Is HereInsert caption hereDownload

Photo by Tommy Oceanak

Matt Santry’s next area performance is with Mark DeRose And The Way Home at 8 p.m. Friday, December 16th, at Chaplin’s The Music Cafe in Spring City, PA; tickets to the show are $10–$12. —Nick Bookbinder

• The Xmas Songby Matt Santry from XPN’s 12 Days Of Local ChristmasDownload

Photo by Tanya Dakin

Summer Fiction is an indie act from Philadelphia led by singer-songwriter Bill Ricchini. Summer Fiction’s self-titled debut album—which was critically acclaimed by Vogue, New York Magazine, NPR, Magnet, and picked as one of 2010′s best records by The Philadelphia Inquirer—loosely follows a young girl’s coming of age, but reads like the journal entries of the guys who fall for her. (In fact, most of the songs are about girls—with more than a few lyrical references to make-up, lipstick, and mascara.) The songs on the album were written to flow into one another, yet range stylistically from late-’60s baroque pop to torch songs to freewheelin’ folk  to old time waltzes to country duets. Below, you can listen to and download the song Summer Fiction wrote for XPN’s 12 Days Of Local Christmas, “Christmas Eve for Two.”

Summer Fiction’s next are performance is at The Key Studio Sessions Live concert with Pink Skull and Attia Taylor at 9 p.m. Friday, December 16, at Johnny Brenda’s; tickets to the 21+ show are free (you can RSVP here). —Nick Bookbinder

• Christmas Eve For Twoby Summer Fiction from XPN’s 12 Days Of Local ChristmasDownload

Below, you can listen to and download the song she wrote for XPN’s 12 Days Of Christmas this year called “When the Night Gets Long”; you can read more about Gillian at her website.

Gillian Grassie’s next area show is with Sam DuPont at 8 p.m. Friday, December 23rd, at
The Kennett Flash; tickets to the all-ages show are $12–$15. —Nick Bookbinder

• When The Night Gets Longby Gillian Grassie from XPN’s 12 Days Of Local ChristmasDownload

Each weekday from December 8-23, the 12 Days of XPN Philly Local Christmas will showcase a different original holiday song from one of 12 local artists. Listeners can tune in to hear the song presented on air weekday mornings at 9:40 a.m. during the My Morning Download program and afternoons at 1:10 p.m. during the XPN Philly Local Pick of the Day feature. In addition, each song will be featured as a free download exclusively through The Key. Today’s track is Find Vienna’s “Christmas Is For Our Hearts.”

Find Vienna

Find Vienna is a band from Philadelphia that has been riding on the success of its debut EP, In Your Favorite Colors. Since the release of the EP in September of 2009, the band has followed a packed tour schedule playing with bands such as The Script, Neon Trees, Parachute, Green River Ordinance, Mae, and Company Of Thieves. Tracks from In Your Favorite Colors have also been placed in MTV and E! Network television shows, played on top 40 stations and on numerous online radio stations.

In January of 2011, the members of Find Vienna re-entered the studio to begin writing and recording for their debut full-length album. After a few months, they realized that they didn’t want to wait for a full-length. They wanted to release something sooner. As a result, Find Vienna decided to release a five-track EP called In Flight.

The new EP will be released at Find Vienna’s Hometown Holiday Show at World Cafe Live on December 22nd and will be available on all online music retail outlets in late December. Armed with a new EP and live show, Find Vienna is poised to hit the road and up the ante. As for the holidays, Find Vienna wrote “Christmas Is For Our Hearts”, which you can download below.  —Nick Bookbinder

• Christmas Is For Our Heartsby Find Vienna from XPN’s 12 Days Of Local ChristmasDownload